A Month of French Authors/Un Mois d’Auteurs Français

It’s good to have Xenakis alone as the auteure du jour. I still remember reading Zut, on a encore oublié Madame Freud in the 1980s. The book is not available in English, but its translated title would be something like, “Shoot, we’ve again forgotten Mrs. Freud.”

In this funny, impertinent book Xenakis focused her attention on the forgotten spouses of the most renowned male scientists, politicians, and artists.

Now in the US, we have so many books, especially for children, highlighting a forgotten female scientist, musician, artist, or writer. But in the 80s, Xenakis had written a modern book. Being a journalist by trade Xenakis wrote with wit and humor so this book is a fun yet instructive read.

I also remember reading with pleasure Mouche toi, Cléopâtre, her book about Cleopatra. Not a forgotten woman but one of the most unforgettable. No translation either for this book although the title would be funny in English too: Blow your nose, Cleopatra.

Françoise Xenakis spent her entire working life as a novelist and journalist. In the 1980s, she wrote a popular literary chronicle for the newspaper Le Matin de Paris. Since she was born in 1930, I don’t think she has written anything new lately.

Comments

Everyday I am presenting a restaurant (or two) Evelyne and I recently visited.

XO Le Restaurant (Montreal): a few feet from our favorite hotel in Montreal, XO is set in a luxurious building (the former’s Banker’s Hall). The chef offers classics like Salade de Topinambours Rotis, Poitrine de Canard Poele, Morue Noire,
Financier a l’erable, etc
During the cold winters XO can be accessed from “la ville souterraine”, this unique underground maze where you can walk or travel for miles without having to set a foot outside

Oops! I meant “erable” not “eracle”. “Financier a l’Erable” is in fact a “maple financier”, most likely here a reference from the XO Chef to the former Merchants Bank building. (St-James Hotel.) It is really a spectacular one.
In fact, I did not know “financier cakes” were originally a favorite of the bankers in the Paris financial district, as they were baked in small tins the shape of a gold bar.

Oh another challenge? Really? 🙂
We need to brainstorm around dinner tonight.
Thank you again for supporting us. It has been fun to read your comments and I’m happy if you discovered a French author or a restaurant along the way.
I certainly discovered many tempting places as I read your blog.

It was a fun read and enlightening too. Because it was true that these men did great work, thanks to smart women who either took care of everything while they focused on their work or helped them with their research. But they remained invisible. Xenakis wrote with wit and had a knack with titles too. Good luck for your last two letters. Love what you’ve done this month with your own topic. A journey in Maine from A to Z is a real treat.

It was a great read. Plus being in the 80s which were important years for women, it meant even more sense. Nobody had really thought of these spouses who lived in their famous husbands’ shadows. So Xenakis opened the door. Thank you again, Dan for trecking along. The journey is almost over 🙂